A Leap in Time
by cheri1
Summary: 10/Rose. Quantum Leap crossover. Sam leaps into the body of Rose Tyler. Can he save both her and the Doctor from a grisly fate?
1. Prologue

Prologue

_The first thing I saw after the bright blue light dissipated was a tall, skinny guy…or rather; I saw the back of him. I noticed that he was running like crazy towards a blue phone booth, his tan trench coat flapping in the breeze. I stopped short and stared at him. Wondering why he was panicking, I looked behind me and immediately saw the reason. There, behind us, was the most hideous looking creature I have ever seen. It was big, and blobby, and turquoise with huge black eyes and fangs dripping with gore. I stared at it, wondering if I had leaped onto the set of some bad B movie. _

"ROSE! RUN! QUIT LOOKING AT IT!"

_I turned back and noticed tall guy was frantically waving and screaming at me. Deciding to play along until I figured out what the heck was going on, I hauled ass towards the phone booth. While I ran, I looked around at the amazingly detailed movie set trying to find the director, the sound guy, lighting crew, anyone involved with the production. But, to my surprise, I didn't see any soundstage. All I saw was desert stretching out as far as the eye could see. I wondered if perhaps we were shooting on location somewhere until I realized that tall guy, the monster, and I were the only people around. Confused beyond belief, I watched while tall guy opened the door of the phone booth and sprinted inside. I couldn't think why there would be a phone booth out in the middle of the desert or why tall guy would want to hide in it, but at the moment, I wasn't going to ask questions. I would do what I always did; go with the flow until Al showed up to fill me in on where I was and what I had to do._

_I ran towards the open door of the phone booth while the guy in the rubber monster suit roared in my ear. I was nearly there when I suddenly felt something sharp rake across my back. It took me a second to work out that the man playing the monster had just scratched me. Cursing under my breath, I picked up speed and concentrated on getting through the open door before the method actor injured me. Just then, tall guy leaned out, grabbed my arms and pulled me inside. I stumbled forward while he slammed the door and locked it. _

_It took me a moment to shake off my disorientation and that's when I noticed that the interior of the phone booth was enormous. In fact, it didn't resemble any phone booth I had seen before. Tall guy walked over to a weird structure in the center of the room that had an odd assortment of switches, buttons and doo-dads on it. I stood and assessed my surroundings and deduced that this must be someone's idea of a futuristic control room. Indeed, tall man was now running around the circular structure pulling levels and pushing buttons. I watched him while I listened to a strange wheezing noise that seemed to be coming from all around me. Tall man finished doing his manic little dance around the structure and then, he finally gave me his full attention._

"You gonna stand there in the doorway all night?" _he asked._

"Um…no, I was just…catching my breath." _I said, walking towards him_.

"And is that what you were doing when you just stopped in your tracks and stared at the Wogan?" _he countered_. "I don't know what you were thinking, Rose, but that little stunt nearly cost you your life."

_Rose. It didn't sink in until that moment that I was in a girl's body. I groaned. God, I hated leaping into women. _

"Um…I'm sorry…" _I said, wondering if we were still filming. _

_Al. Come on, old buddy. I need you to get in here and fill me in on things._

"Well, next time, don't be so reckless, alright?"

"Um…yes, alright."

_My eyes widened when tall man leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. Okay, so…they're a couple then, I guess? I watched while he went over to a computer monitor and began typing. Figuring I might get a clue to my surroundings, I came up behind him and looked over his shoulder, but to my surprise, the only thing on the screen was a bunch of concentric circles. Tall man looked back at me and smiled._

"So, where to next?" _he asked_.

_I stared at him, confused._

"Um…I don't know. Where do you wanna go?" _I said._

"I'll go anywhere you wanna go."

_I sighed inwardly. Yeah, that was helpful. I looked around for Al, but at usual, he was late in arriving. I looked back at tall guy who stared at me with an expectant look on his face. I shrugged._

"Just…pick somewhere," _I said, wondering what he was talking about. _

_Did he mean where did I want to go after filming stopped? Or was this his lines in the movie? Maybe he's waiting for me to say my line and this is his way of prompting me. I'm about to ask him where I can get a copy of the script when he suddenly smiled and typed out something on his computer._

"I know just the place," _he said._ "Belocarius Pelorzian. It's wonderful this time of year."

_Okay, so he is saying lines. Damn, I need to get my hands on a script. I hesitate a moment and then tap him on the shoulder._

"Yes, Rose?"

"Um…where's a script?"

_Tall man paused a moment and then gave me an odd look._

"Script?"

"Yeah…the script for the movie we're shooting. I need to see my lines. I had a rough night last night and I can't remember what I'm supposed to say next."

_I winced when tall man stared at me in shock. _

"I'm sorry?" _he said_.

_Suddenly, I have a funny feeling I just said the wrong thing. In fact, from the way tall man was looking at me, I 'm pretty sure I just put my foot in my mouth. But, what else could it be? Surely, this is some kind of movie set. I mean, this can't be real life…can it?_

_Tall man stared at me for a moment and then a huge grin spread over his face._

"I get it. You're pretending we're in an old sci-fi film, is that it?"

"Um…yeah, I am," _I said, following his lead._

_Tall man slipped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. _

"And I suppose I'm the big scary alien that kidnapped you and is taking you away to my planet to be enslaved for the rest of your life, is that it?"

_I stared at him._

"Yeah, exactly," _I said._ "You kidnapped me and took me away from my home, so I would toil in the…space mines, forever and ever."

_Tall man chuckled. He gave me a sinister look._

"Yes, that's right; you will work for me in my banana mines for the rest of eternity, so I can have banana splits whenever I desire! Bwahahahahahaaaaa!"

_I can't help but smile when he sniggers at that. At least tall guy has a sense of humor. He gives me a warm smile._

"Eh, Rose, you'll like working in the mines. It has a lovely banana smell and once you have done a day's toiling, you'll get to wear a skimpy harem girl outfit while you feed me my treat."

_I nod, not quite sure how to answer that. _

"But, on the more serious side, you and I are going to Belocarius Pelorzian to have a bit of fun. They have a wonderful resort there that's surrounded on all sides by pink waterfalls. And, at night, you and I can sit on the balcony and watch the meteor shower. How does that sound?"

_I stare at him, wondering if he's still pulling my leg._

"Um…it…sounds fantastic," _I said._

"Great, then that's where we're going, so if I were you, I'd go pack an overnight bag."

"Okay…I will."

_Tall man let go of me and sat down on the battered jump seat behind him. Not knowing what to do, I sat down beside him. He gave me an odd look._

"You don't wanna pack anything?" _he asked_.

"In a moment, I just…wanna rest here."

_He smiled, put his feet up on the rim of the structure and leaned his head back. After several minutes the ship landed and powered down. I looked around, praying Al would show up. Then, just when I had begun to lose hope, there he was. I leapt up and ran over to him. _

"Al," _I said, in a loud whisper_. "Where on Earth am I?"

"Um, that's just it," _Al replied_. "You aren't on Earth."

_I frowned. _

"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"

_Al sighed._

"I hate to tell you this, buddy. But…you are on an alien spaceship with an alien."

_I freeze. Turning slowly, I look around at tall man who is staring at me with an odd look on his face._

"Oh boy," _I said._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Sam stared at Al, dumbfounded.

"Come again?" he said.

"You…are on…a spaceship…with an alien," Al said slowly.

Sam raised his eyebrow.

"You gotta be joking."

"Does it look like I'm joking, Sam?"

Sam looked back at tall man who was staring at him intently. He looked at Al and lowered his voice.

"Al, this can't be possible. There is no such thing as aliens."

"Oh yeah, well try telling him that," Al said, gesturing to tall man.

"He doesn't even look like an alien."

"Well, what do you expect him to look like? E.T.? Starman? Alf? I'm telling you, Sam, that's an alien over there."

"Fine, he's an alien. What am I then? Am I an alien too?"

"No, you're human."

He looked down at his handheld computer.

"You are Rose Tyler. Twenty years old, from London, England," he read. "You have been traveling with the Doctor, that's alien boy over there, for almost two years now."

"Wait, hold up, the guy's name is the Doctor?" Sam said.

Al nodded.

"Okay, if he's an alien, why doesn't he have an alien's name like Bezot or Zargon or something?"

"Search me. I'm just telling you what we've gotten from Rose so far, this man is known as the Doctor."

"Rose?"

Sam looked back at the Doctor who was now totally befuddled.

"Um…call me crazy, but are you standing in the middle of the console room talking to thin air…and if you are, why?"

"Um, I was just thinking aloud…Doctor. I'm trying to remember something important," Sam said, hoping that would satisfy him.

"Well, are you going to do the Hamlet monologue all day? I'd like to get out the door and get to the resort before I go through another regeneration."

"Um…sure, Doctor…I'll just go…pack my things."

He looked at Al.

"Where do I go?" he muttered under his breath.

"Back of the room, there's an exit."

Sam looked over and saw the back door. He made a beeline for it while Al followed him. Once they were around the corner, Sam turned to Al.

"Okay, so…this Doctor…he kidnapped Rose?"

"Uh…no, she came voluntarily."

Sam was taken aback.

"She did? Why?"

"Well, because basically her life wasn't going anywhere and the Doctor offered her a life of traveling and adventure and she decided to take him up on his offer. So, for the past two years she's been his….companion."

"I think she's a bit more than that judging from the kiss and the hug he gave me."

"Well, yes, according to Earth legends about him the Doctor is very charming, so I can see how she'd fall head over heels in love for him."

"Legends?"

"Oh yeah, this guy gets around. Ziggy's found mentions of him all throughout history in all kinds of myths and folklore. He travels through time and helps people, saves them from all sorts of evil and usually he has a companion or two along to assist him, which is what Rose's function is. Rose travels with him and helps him fight evil. According to Rose, this ship is called the TARDIS. It's bigger on the inside, but you've probably already guessed that. This is, for all intents and purposes, their home. Everything they need is in here, which is why you have a bedroom on board. Um…Rose has left behind a mother and a boyfriend. They know she's with the Doctor though."

"And her mother is okay with that?"

Al shrugged.

"She's a grown woman, Sam. I doubt her mother had much say in it. Um…other than that, not much of interest about her. Worked at a couple of low paying jobs including a stint at Henrick's department store, which is where she met the Doctor."

Al grinned.

"And just from personal experience, let me tell you, this woman is a little spitfire. She was back in the waiting room screaming her head off at us, demanding to know where she was at and what we did with the Doctor and how sorry we're all gonna be if the Doctor finds out we've taken her, that sort of thing. We finally managed to calm her down and get her to talk. Good looking too. Blonde hair, brown eyes and knockers out to here. Makes me wish I was a time traveling alien if that's who he gets to travel with him. Lucky bastard."

"Al…stick to the problem at hand. Why am I here?"

"Oh! Yeah, um…you are here to prevent Rose and the Doctor from being killed."

"Killed? By who?"

"Um…Ziggy is still trying to work that out, but she's pretty sure there's a 90 percent chance that you are here to stop them from dying a horrible, painful death."

"Where? At this resort we're going to?"

"Not sure about that either, but rest assured, Ziggy's working on it."

"Well, can she work a little faster? I don't want to end up in an alien's stomach or being anal probed or whatever it is aliens do to humans. How does this Doctor act, come to think of it?"

"Like a human," Al said, shrugging. "From what Rose said, he's humanoid except for the binary vascular system, the respiratory bypass system, the heightened intelligence and the regenerations."

"Yeah, he just said something about regeneration. What does that mean?"

"Well, according to some of the legends, the Doctor has a really nifty way of avoiding death. Apparently, if he's going to die, he changes his entire body, every single molecule and becomes a new man….but…he's still basically the Doctor, just a new body and a new personality. Pretty handy if you ask me."

"So, this guy has been other people?"

"Well, yes and no. Like I said, he stays the Doctor, he just changes his appearance from top to bottom and inside and out. The legends give differing descriptions of him throughout time, although the TARDIS he travels in has always stayed the same. But, not only does he change his appearance, Rose here is also the latest in a very long line of companions because there's also numerous descriptions of people who have traveled with him. It's all very fascinating. So much to know about this guy."

"Tell me about it, it's making my head swim just trying to work through the little you told me," Sam said.

"We are doing everything we can to get this sorted out. In the meantime, it sounds like you have a resort to go to. I envy you. I could use a break myself. Well, I'll let you go pack and I'll try to find out more information on…"

"Whoa, wait, Al!"

"Yeah?"

"Did Rose say if she and the Doctor are…you know…"

"Oh! Um, I don't know about that. That's one of the things I'll have to ask Rose about when I see her again. I was trying to get the basics as fast as I could and get back to you."

"I want to know because I want to know just how close these two are. I mean, if we're going to be relaxing at a resort, is he gonna want to, you know?"

Al snickered.

"You mean, are you gonna end up on the cover of the National Enquirer with the headline, I HAD AN ALIEN'S BABY above your head. Is that what you mean?"

"Yes, in a manner of speaking. I want to know if I 'm going to have to romance an alien while I'm at this resort."

"Gee, I don't know, but if you do, let me know. I wanna watch."

"Al!" he said, as Al snickered.

"Look if he tries anything; just talk him out of it. Surely, Mister Spock knows when to keep it in his pants. Oh, and that reminds me, Rose was a lower middle class shop girl from London, so don't think you can chitchat with this guy about string theory or quantum mechanics and such because that will look awfully peculiar to him."

"Yes, I get it, Al. I figured a twenty year old girl probably wouldn't have Einstein intelligence or a master's degree in physics."

"Well, just letting you know in case you get the urge to talk shop with an alien. I…"

They were interrupted when the Doctor stuck his head around the corner.

"Rose? Are you still here?" he asked. "Haven't you been to your room yet?"

"I'm going, Doctor," Sam said, hurriedly. "I'm going right now."

He walked off before the Doctor could ask any more questions.

"Okay, Al, go back, talk to Rose and try to find out exactly what's going on."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Sam stood in the middle of Rose's room after he found it and gave it a once over. It looked like a normal woman's bedroom except for the weird roundels all over the walls. Sam noticed a full-length mirror hanging on the inside of a closet door and walked over to it. He stood there for a moment staring at the reflection in the mirror. Rose was a beautiful woman. He turned his head from side to side staring at the shoulder length blonde hair that was obviously a dye job. She paused and stared at Rose's face. Except for a couple of zits, there were no blemishes, no scars, nothing to suggest she had been fighting evil alongside an alien. Sam figured the woman was very capable of holding her own in a battle, very lucky, or both.

He tore himself away from the mirror and continued his inspection of the room. His eyes settled on a dresser by the bed. On top of it was a gaudy pink teddy bear, an assortment of toiletries, some weird purple crystal, and several pictures in silver frames. He walked over and examined the pictures. One of them showed Rose standing with an older woman that resembled her, which Sam guessed was her mother, and a young black man. They had their arms around each other as they smiled for the camera. The picture beside that showed Rose and an older man with short brown hair and enormous ears. The man had an extremely serious expression on his face even though Rose was beaming from ear to ear. Sam also noticed that the man had his arms around her, holding her protectively against his chest. In the background was the TARDIS. Sam stared at it for a moment and then remembered Al telling him that the Doctor had the ability to change his entire body. Was this the Doctor in another form? He moved on to the picture beside it and smiled. Rose and the Doctor that was out in the control room were sitting on a bench. There was a Ferris wheel in the background, so Sam figured they were at a fair somewhere. The Doctor was holding an ice cream cone in his hand and Sam could tell he had just smushed it into Rose's face because she had ice cream on her nose, lips and chin. The Doctor was laughing hysterically at her while Rose had her hand up ready to slap the back of his head. Sam couldn't help but smile at it. Despite the fact that he was an alien and she was a human, they did make a cute couple. Beside the picture frame, there was a little angel statue with a folded piece of paper under its base. He lifted up the figurine, took the paper, and unfolded it. It was a note from the Doctor to Rose. Sam read it.

My Rose,

Exactly one year ago today, you came into my TARDIS and my life. Hard to believe that one whole year has come and gone. We have done so much, seen so many things and have been tried, tested, tortured and tormented over and over and yet, here we are, standing strong, laughing our arses off at everyone who thought they could defeat us. The arrogant fools. Don't they know that it's useless to try to match their wits against the Doctor and his plucky plus one? We are invincible, you and me! There's nothing you and I cannot do and no one you and I cannot vanquish.

Yet, it seemed that for one heart wrenching moment, our dynamic duo would be torn apart because I neglected to fill you in on the tiny detail of my regeneration. Okay…so it wasn't that tiny…Okay, be honest, it was a humongously, huge, glaring, I should have told you up front detail, but you get my meaning. I know it's been a few months since the day of my "birth", but I still can see the terrified look in your eyes while you looked at the stranger in front of you. Oh Rose, I'm so sorry I did that to you. Never again do I want to see you look at me with fear and mistrust in your eyes. My hearts nearly stopped when I thought you would leave me and you can't imagine the relief I felt when you told me you wanted to come with me after the Sycorax invasion. My Rose, it's only been one single solitary year since we met, but now I can't imagine living my life without you in it. You are a true treasure. A rare and expensive gem in a bucket of rhinestones. You are my plus, plus, plus, plus one. A friend through thick and thin. I feel blessed each time I look over and see you beside me. My hearts leap with joy when you slide your hand into mine. It fits so perfectly, have you noticed that? Amazing.

Anyway, I wanted to mark our first anniversary. I didn't know what to get you, so I found this little angel statue. I figured since you were like an angel watching out for me, it would fit you perfectly. Then, I looked at it and thought, nah I need more. So, I added this note just to let you know how much you mean to me. You are one in a million, Rose, never forget that.

Your friend and companion forever and ever,

Your Doctor.

Sam smiled as he folded the note up and put it back under the angel. He took another glance at Rose and the tall, serious man and knew without a doubt that this also was the Doctor.

"Wow, it must have been a shock for her to watch him change right in front of her," he murmured to himself.

_Yes, it was. _

Sam was taken aback when he suddenly heard a female's voice in his head. He looked all around for the owner, but he couldn't see anyone.

"Hello?" he said, tentatively.

_Who are you and what do you want? Where is Rose? What have you done with her?_

Sam looked all around trying to find where the voice was coming from.

"Who is this?" he asked.

_I am the TARDIS._

Sam frowned.

"TARDIS. You mean you're the Doctor's spaceship?"

_Yes, I am a living, sentient ship and I'm able to telepathically communicate with the occupants when the situation calls for it. I detected a change in Rose's brain waves the moment she walked through my door and I have been keeping tabs on you ever since, Sam Beckett. Now, where is Rose?_

"She's fine, honestly. She's unharmed," Sam said.

_Where?_

"In a top secret lab hidden in a mountain in New Mexico. She's in a room called the waiting room. She's unharmed, I swear."

_Bring her back._

"I can't.

_Why not?_

Sam sighed.

"Because I leapt into her body and until I can figure out what went wrong and make it right, I'm stuck here. There's no way I can voluntarily leap out. Until I fix whatever I'm here to fix, I'm stuck in Rose's body and she's stuck in the waiting room. But I promise as soon as I stop the Doctor and Rose from dying, I'll leap out and she'll be back."

_Then I'll tell the Doctor you are here._

"No! Please…don't tell him anything," Sam said.

_You might as well let me do it because the Doctor will soon figure out you are not Rose and once he does, he'll be extremely angry and trust me, you don't want him angry at you._

"Look, can't you just help me out. I mean, you're the Doctor's ship, you obviously care about him and Rose, right?"

_I love them both._

"Okay, well, I'm trying to stop the people you love from dying, so can you please not tell him I'm here."

_Why?_

"Because…I don't want him to interfere. This is something I have to do on my own."

_If I were you, I wouldn't refuse the Doctor's help. If you are supposed to save him and Rose, I'll think you'll find he'll be a huge help to you. Now, judging from your brain scan, I have deduced you are not a threat, so I will honor your request to keep your identity a secret. But, I warn you, the Doctor is no fool. You cannot keep hidden from him forever, especially since he knows Rose so well and will suspect something the moment you do something that's out of character for her. If they are in danger, it would be better for you to tell the truth and enlist his aid rather than act like his companion and look like the fool when he finds out. _

"Thank you for keeping this a secret," Sam said. "If I need the Doctor's help, then I will ask for it, but at the moment, I'm not sure if I should come clean to him about this or not. I have a friend named Al who helps me out and I need to ask him if it's alright to identify myself when he comes back. Until then, I just want to remain incognito.

_Suit yourself. Just don't be surprised if the Doctor finds out before you are ready to tell him. _

Sam nodded.

"Thank you, now if you'll just let me know where Rose's overnight bag and all her things are so I can pack, I'd appreciate it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After fifteen minutes, Sam was packed and ready. He paused at the door to Rose's bedroom.

"Could you do me a favor, TARDIS? Could you keep talking to me telepathically and fill me on how Rose acts, so the Doctor won't suspect?"

_No, I will not interfere, but I will not help you either. I am loyal to the Doctor and Rose, not you. As long as you do not hurt either one of them, I will tolerate your presence here, but you are on your own from here on out. I don't want the Doctor angry at me because I helped you deceive him. _

"Gee, thanks," Sam said, sighing.

He opened the door and stepped out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, it's about time, we landed about ten minutes ago," the Doctor said when Sam entered the console room. "What'd you do? Get a bath and a complete makeover for the trip?"

"I was just packing my things. I…uh…wasn't sure what to bring," Sam said.

He flinched slightly when the Doctor stared at him, intensely. For a moment, he wondered if the TARDIS had already told him what had happened. But then, he grinned and put his arm around him.

"Well, I suppose you have to look your best, don't you?" he said, "and now that you're all packed and ready, let's get going. I'm anxious to see those waterfalls, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah, I bet they're beautiful."

"Course they are. I wouldn't bring you here if they weren't," the Doctor said.

He reached over, grabbed Sam's hand, and held it tightly. Sam smiled remembering what the Doctor had said about her hand fitting perfectly with his. He felt the Doctor give his hand a squeeze before the two of them headed towards the front door.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Al paused outside the waiting room and entered it. Rose was sitting at the back of it with her knees up to her chest. She was wearing the skin tight white body suit that all the leapees wore. She eyed him suspiciously while he closed the door.

"Hello Rose," he said smiling.

"How long am I gonna stay in here?" she asked him.

"For as long as it takes for Sam to complete his mission. Once he's leaped out of your body you'll go back."

"You'll never get away with this. The Doctor's clever, far cleverer than a human. He'll figure out that's not me. I've been possessed before and he knows now to keep an eye out for things like that."

"Which is why we need your help, Rose. I need you to give me some more information."

"Why should I help ya?"

"Because both of you are in danger and we need to know everything about you and your relationship with the Doctor and who he is."

"What d'ya mean we're in danger? What are you doing to him?" she yelled.

"Whoa, Blondie, cool it! We're not the threat, something else is. You and the Doctor are in danger of dying and Sam is there to prevent it. He leaps into people and helps fix things that have gone wrong."

"He's done this before?"

"Yes, many times before. He travels through time and leaps into people and helps them."

Rose was silent.

"He's a time traveler like we are?"

"Yes."

"But he doesn't use a time machine?"

"Nope. Someone, we don't know who or what is leaping him around from body to body. It's not us though."

Rose frowned.

"I've never heard of that happenin'. I wonder if the Doctor would know."

"Not sure, but getting back to him…we need a bit more information from you. The more you cooperate the faster Sam can leave and you can go back to your life with him."

"You swear this isn't a trick?"

"I swear on my life. You're safe here. The only thing that will happen apart from the medical exam we gave ya is I'll be in here from time to time to speak with you. We won't torture or harm you in any way."

Rose sighed.

"Will I remember this when I go back?" she asked.

"I don't know. We've never been sure about that either. You may or you may not. And I'm not sure if the Doctor will either. But if you don't talk then it won't matter because you'll both be dead."

Rose thought it over for a moment and then nodded.

"Alright, if it helps the Doctor and saves him and my body from dyin' I'll talk. What do you wanna know?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam walked with the Doctor towards a large resort on Belocarius Pelorzian. He couldn't believe he was on another planet. He looked at the pink waterfalls beside the resort, the ones the Doctor described earlier and thought how beautiful they were as they cascaded off the high rocked cliffs which ringed the building. The grass was a soft green but the sky above was a faint purple color and there were a couple of distant planets in the sky. He walked all the way to the resort with his jaw hanging open.

_This is, without a doubt, the most interesting leap I've had so far,_ he thought.

They walked into the resort and Sam looked around. It resembled a hotel lobby except the walls were made out of some shiny silver material and there were little glowing orbs flying around all over the place. They walked up to the front desk and a man greeted them. He was humanoid except his eyes were all white making him look blind. He seemed to see well enough because he looked right at them and said hello.

"Good afternoon, welcome to the Starlight Resort. Are you checking in?"

"Yes, we are," the Doctor said. "I'd like two single rooms, preferably side by side."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief knowing they weren't gonna room together. Perhaps the hug and kiss were just a friendly gesture between them. He finished paying for the rooms and two orbs floated over. Sam watched while the Doctor lifted his bag and the orb grabbed hold of it, levitated up and carried it away. Sam followed suit with his bags and they followed the orbs while they headed for the elevator. The Doctor handed him a white plastic card and instructed him to swipe it in the slot where the doorknob would normally be in order to open his door. Sam nodded and they got into the elevator along with the orbs. Sam stared at them thinking how bizarre they were. It certainly beat a snooty bellboy who would take your bags up and then stand there with his hand out wanting a tip. He watched them while they floated around his head. Then he suddenly became aware that the Doctor's eyes were on him and he turned to see him staring at him intently. The Doctor quickly smiled at him but he thought he caught a hint of anger and distrust for a split second.

The elevator doors opened and the Doctor led the way towards their rooms. Sam glanced at the orbs that were flying along beside their heads before he turned his attention back to the Doctor. He found the rooms and gestured to the one beside it.

"This is yours, Rose," he said.

Sam nodded, walked past him and swiped the card in the slot in the door. He heard it click and opened it while his orb hovered behind him. He walked inside and the orb followed him. The orb flew past him to the table by the window, lowered itself down and gently dropped the bag. Sam was testing the mattress with his hand when the orb suddenly flew up to his face.

"Oh no, you really do want a tip, dontcha?" he asked.

To his surprise, the orb began to speak to him in a tinny robotic voice telling him all about the resort and the specials they had. Sam listened for a minute and then got tired of it and tried to move away. To his annoyance the orb followed him around while it went through its spiel.

"I don't care, alright?" he said after five minutes. "Just go away and leave me alone!"

He sighed when the orb didn't respond. He walked out the door while the orb followed. He knocked on the Doctor's door and when he opened it he saw he was being plagued by the exact same spiel.

"You too, eh?" the Doctor said to him.

Sam nodded.

"Hopefully we won't get much more of this. I don't think they could keep their 5 asteroid rating for long with these things bothering the guests."

"Is there some way we can get away from them?" Sam asked.

The Doctor thought for a moment and then reached into his jacket. He brought out his sonic screwdriver and tried it on Sam's orb. Immediately the thing shut up and flew away. He did the same with his and Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Doctor."

"Not a problem. I'm just as glad to see them go as you are. Now shall we explore what the resort has to offer so their little advert won't be wasted?"

Sam nodded. He went to shut his door while the Doctor shut his. The Doctor beckoned to him and he followed him to the elevator. Once they got in Sam got another good look at him. He was very thin and youthful but there was something about him that seemed ancient and he had wisdom far beyond his years. His body was lithe with slight muscles and the brown pinstriped jacket was not buttoned up fully nor was his tie tightened fully around his throat, instead it was hanging loosely giving him a slightly rumpled appearance as if he had just woken up and had hurriedly dressed for a meeting. He was wearing a pair of white converses which seemed odd giving the whole businesslike attire he was wearing. He was slouched up against the wall of the elevator with his hands in his pockets, a cool calm demeanor about him. Sam shifted slightly unsure of what to do around him. He still wasn't sure what the exact nature of their relationship was and he was scared that the Doctor really would catch on and find out that something was wrong. He sighed, quietly wanting Al to hurry up and get back to him before something happened.

The doors opened and the Doctor strolled out with Sam following behind him. They walked across the lobby to the front desk and the Doctor made inquiries about any recreation or pool rooms they had. The man pointed to a door across the way and the Doctor thanked him and they headed across the room. The door slid open when they reached it and they walked down a long corridor to another door. It slid open and Sam saw a large pool that had a high and low diving board on the deep end. The Doctor stood rubbing his cheek while he looked around.

"Where's the door to the recreation room then?" he muttered.

Sam spied a door on the other side of the room and pointed it out to him.

"Ah, well done, Hawkeye," he said.

They walked across the room and the door slid open to reveal a large room with several different games.

"Well done, Rose," the Doctor replied.

"Thanks."

He looked at the games but all of them were unfamiliar to him. The Doctor led him over to a couple of paddles resting on a table and instructed him on what to do. They positioned themselves in front of a large silver wall and a laser light ball shot out from the wall. They hit it back against the wall so it ricocheted back to the other person. It took about ten minutes but Sam finally got the hang of it and the two of them ran back and forth lobbing the light ball back to each other. Sam got into it and forgot about everything else except the laser ball. He loved the exercise he was getting. It felt good to burn off some of the stress and anxiety he had being on a strange planet. They played it for about a half hour before both of them decided to try something else.

"Well played," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, you too," Sam replied.

He turned around and was startled when he saw Al behind him smoking his cigar.

"I agree," he said, taking it out of his mouth, "Nice job playing the whole alien racquetball thing. You did a good job keeping the laser ball in play."

He looked over at the Doctor who was examining the other games and leaned into him.

"Did you find out more?" he hissed at him.

"Yes, I did, so is there somewhere we can talk freely?"

"Just a moment."

He walked over to the Doctor.

"Um, Doctor, there's a restaurant around here, isn't there?"

"Yes, I think so. Why? Are you hungry?"

"Thirsty. I need to get something to drink so if you don't mind, I'll do that and meet you back here."

"No worries, take your time. Here you go."

He reached into his pocket and handed him a long thin stick.

"Here's a credit stick for you so you can do that. But use it wisely."

"Thanks," he said putting it in his pocket.

He headed past the Doctor to the door while Al followed behind him.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Sam waited until they were out of earshot before he looked over his shoulder at Al who was calmly smoking his cigar.

"What took you so long?" he muttered to him. "I've never been on an alien planet before and I was scared this Doctor would catch on that I'm not Rose. He's a lot smarter than he appears."

"You ain't just whistlin' Dixie, pal. According to his pissed off, sweetie, he's some sort of alien super genius who travels time and space righting wrongs, much like you do, only he travels around in a time machine called a TARDIS. T…A…R…D…I…S, stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space, catchy name, actually. But yes, the man is one of the most brilliant minds who has ever lived, so you better watch your p's and q's with this one."

"Great," Sam said, throwing up his hands. "How am I supposed to compete with that?"

"Talk to him about quantum theory. He might actually stay awake, unlike the rest of us who used to be bored by your long, passionate orations on why quantum theory was so damn cool."

"Ha ha," Sam said as Al gave him an impish grin. "What else did Rose say?"

"If this Sam hurts the Doctor, I'll kill him, her words," Al said.

"Yes, you told me that before along with how sexy she was."

"That she is. If the Doctor ever tires of her, I'll certainly take her on the rebound," Al said, wagging his eyebrows.

Sam rolled his eyeballs.

"What about their relationship?"

"Well…" Al said after taking a long drag on his cigar, "she was a bit tight lipped on that but from what she did tell me, I get the feeling that it's not as intimate as you think. I think it's more of a semi-serious thing, although I think Rose really does love him. From what she's told me, the Doctor can be both warm and loving and aloof and distant, depending on mood, I guess. He seems to be a complicated person at best."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Just as long as I don't have sex with him, I'll be happy."

"If he's not having sex with ya, the man's a total idiot. He may be the biggest brain in the universe but even brainiacs can be brain dead down there, if you catch my drift."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sam said, trying not to encourage a sexual discussion about Rose. "What about why I'm here?"

"Well, that's also a bit iffy. Rose says that they run into evildoers and monsters all the time so there's no telling what's gonna happen while you're here."

"So…what you're telling me is a bellhop could leap out at me and stab me in the throat with a knife."

Al punched that into his computer.

"Ziggy says there's a 3 percent probability of death by bellhop."

"Gee, thanks, Al," Sam said while his friend sniggered. "So what you're telling me is I basically need to be on my guard at all times because anything can happen."

"Yeah, pretty much, buddy. This time, you could be savaged by a hundred eyed alien or stabbed in the gut by a wacko human rooming next to you. Rose told me that since she's traveled with the Doctor, she's seen amazing, incredible things that you wouldn't believe. Personally, I think her tits top any amazing, incredible thing she's seen but then again, that's just me."

"You know, there are times when I'm glad I'm doing the leaping and not you. Because I can just picture you lying on bed in your hotel room, stroking yourself until an alien monster really did leap out of the closet and kill ya."

"Yeah, but…what a way to go, eh?" Al said with a wistful smile. "Anyway, Ziggy's still working on finding out what the exact threat is. In the meantime, I suggest doing what any vacationer would do at an alien resort on a distant planet and relax. Rose seemed confident and self-assured and if she's faced half the things she's said she's faced and still has her sanity, I say follow her lead and have some fun. Keep alert but don't be paranoid of every little thing. Especially since we don't know if the threat is here. I'll get back to you on that but in the meantime, just…act natural around Martian Boy and don't jump his bones at the first moment you and he are alone and I think you'll do just fine."

Sam nodded. He watched as Al took another puff on his cigar and went back through the doorway that opened up behind him. Sam let out a deep sigh when the doorway closed and he was left alone.

"Relax. Yeah, right, Al. You try relaxing when you're a gazillion miles from Earth on a strange planet with a possible death by alien waiting for ya right around the corner."

He sighed and shook his head. The TARDIS was already on to him. He kept that from Al for the moment since he wasn't sure if the TARDIS would blow his cover or not and he didn't want his friend to worry. So far, the TARDIS seemed to be keeping her part of the bargain but if the spaceship could figure it out almost instantly, how long would it be before the alien caught on. He couldn't hide in the restaurant forever, nor could he hide in his room with something threatening Rose Tyler. He had to find out what the problem was and fix it so he could get the hell out of this body before the Doctor did something to pull him out of it and given that he supposedly had the greatest mind in the universe, he didn't doubt that the Doctor might have something that would do just that. He glanced down at the credit stick in his hand, studied it for a moment and then decided to see what the bar had. He suddenly needed a stiff drink, very, very badly.

The Doctor sat on his bed, frowning as he stared the communicating door separating his room from Rose's. Something was wrong, very, very wrong. He could sense it. Somehow, Rose wasn't herself but he couldn't put his finger on why. All he knew that something was different about his companion. The way she acted and moved seemed to suggest possible possession. After Cassandra, he didn't harbor any doubts that someone could take over Rose's body and his mind burned with anger that it might have happened again. But he couldn't be absolutely sure and he didn't want to endanger Rose in case this intruder could torment her mind or cause her to injure herself. For the moment, he thought it best that he pretended nothing was wrong so the entity would let his or her guard down and he could observe and see if he could suss out if Rose was being possessed or controlled and figure out by whom and how.

"Whoever you are, whatever you are," he muttered to himself. "If you're possessing or controlling Rose and you end up hurting or killing her or damaging her mind beyond repair, you better be on the other side of the universe because I'll find you and make your life a living Hell!"

Sam sat at the bar, sipping a beer while he tried to collect his thoughts. The beer was not from Earth, something called Saturn Select, but it was pretty good and he ordered another one before he decided that two was his limit. He might already be under suspicion without him stumbling around and puking into the Doctor's lap. He finished off the second beer, gave the barkeep the credit stick so he could run off a small tip and when he got it back, he put it in the pocket of his jeans before he walked out of the bar. He froze when he saw the Doctor getting out of the lift across the way. At first, he hoped the Doctor wouldn't notice him but his hopes were dashed when the Doctor's eyes locked on his and he headed over towards him.

"There you are. You…were in the pub?" he said.

"Yeah, had a couple of beers, they tasted pretty good. Saturn Select."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Saturn Select is a pretty strong beer. The Saturnians have almost no taste buds."

Sam did wonder why the beer had a strong taste to it, but he had to admit he liked it, not to mention it had quite a kick to it as well.

"How many did you drink?" the Doctor asked.

"Two. Just two."

The Doctor let out a sardonic laugh.

"You better hope you don't end up on your knees in front of the toilet then. Those beers are quite potent. The Saturnians liked getting pissed any chance they got. Comes from living on a planet with almost nothing to do."

Sam wondered if he meant Saturn or a planet named Saturnian or Saturnia because he was under the impression Saturn had no life on it. He dared to mention that fact to the Doctor.

"Nah, the Saturnians live underground. Voyager never saw them when it went past. Anyway, are you done visiting the pub?"

"Um…yeah, I am."

"Good, come with me then. Let's take a walk. They have a zoo near here with all sorts of alien animals. Fancy a stroll through it?"

Sam had to admit the thought of seeing alien wildlife was thrilling to him. He nodded eagerly.

"Good, come then, we'll spend a few hours in the menagerie."

Sam looked down at the Doctor's hand when he held it out and opened it. He hesitated a moment and then put his hand in the Doctor's. The Doctor closed his hand around Sam's and smiled warmly at him but Sam swore for a second he could see that spark of distrust in his eyes before the cheerful face masked it.

"Shall we?" the Doctor said to him before they walked towards the front entrance.


End file.
